Musings of a scifi/fantasy fangirl // Women of Middle-earth database

Tar-Ancalimë “Queen of Long Light”
daughter of Tar-Aldarion and Erendis; became the first Ruling Queen of Númenor. She was born in Númenor in 873 SA and said to be one of the most beautiful of all Númenóreans. Her father was always away at sea for most of her childhood, so she never saw him often. Her mother Erendis became increasing estranged from her husband and so she and Ancalimë moved to her White House in Emerié. There Ancalimë grew up and was raised only among women (Zamîn being her nanny), so she knew and saw very little of men. In fact, her mother often talked badly of men, primarily because she felt left behind and betrayed by Aldarion. She told Ancalimë that, “…women to them are but fires on the hearth–for others to tend, until they are tired of play in the evening…Therefore do not bend Ancalimë. Once bend a little, and they will bend you further until you are bowed down.” Ancalimë would spend time in both Emerië and Armenelos, the capital and King’s city of Numenor. Her people called her “Emerwen Aranel”, the Princess Shepherdess, because of her unusual upbringing in the land of Emerië. Ancalimë would spend some time in hiding at a farm during her teenage years and lived as a shepherdess, her royal identity being kept in secret. There she met a young shepherd named Mámandil (“Friend of Sheep”). He declared his love for her and revealed that he was actually Hallacar, a nobleman of the line of Elros. She told him who she really was, although he already knew, and was angry at him for deceiving her and said she would prefer to marry no man.

Her father Tar-Aldarion became King in 883 SA and in 892 changed the law in Númenor so that the eldest child of the King, whether man or woman, should become the Ruler. So in 1075 SA, Ancalimë became Tar-Ancalimë, the first Ruling Queen of Númenor. She remained unmarried for a long time but grew worried that if she remained childless, her cousin Soronto (son of Ailinel) would succeed her. In order to spite Soronto, she eventually married Hallacar. The marriage was more one of politics than of love because she wanted to produce an heir in order to secure her throne. She disliked the idea of marriage and rarely spent time with Hallacar. Following the birth of their son, Hallacar and Tar-Ancalimë lived apart. After her father’s death in 1098, she neglected his sea-faring policies and gave no further aid to Gil-galad. She was a very proud and willful Queen. Ancalimë relinquished the Sceptre in 1280 and was succeeded by her son, Tar-Anárion. Her son’s daughters, and all the women of her court, disliked and feared Ancalimë because she would refuse to let them marry. Ancalimë died in year 1285 SA, at the age of 412 years.